Lenovo will be launching its Enhanced Experience (EE3) Version 3 in April for its line of Think and Idea-branded PCs that promises to reduce Windows 7 start-up time to just 24 seconds without the use of an SSD, compared to 41 seconds with a typical HDD-based Windows 7 PC.
EE3 consists of two factors - RapidBoot and BootShield. For its upcoming computer range that features RapidBoot, these will have a Proprietary BIOS to reduce the initial POST time, specifically reconfigured drivers for improved performance, non-essential Windows 7 services delayed until after boot, carefully pre-installed software and carefully selected high quality hardware components for performance. RapidBoot also involves smartly defragging files used during the boot process and caching these in RAM.
Its BootShield will only be available in its laptop range and is designed to prevent lengthening boot times and slower performance as the device gets older with the build-up of user-added software. It works by monitoring system resources during the boot process and delaying the launch of user-added software until either resources are freed up (e.g. while idle) or when the user launches software that depends on the affected processes.
Lenovo computers featuring this EE3 technology will feature a certification sticker to help consumers determine which PCs have this technology. The first of these computers will launch in April.
It will be interesting to see how well this fast start-up performance lasts over time, especially on its PC range which does not have its additional BootShield technology designed to reduce slowing down as the amount of user-installed software builds up. It is also unclear how much this technology actually affects usage. For example, many people who only boot the PC once a day don't mind how long it takes to start-up, as long as it responsive while in use.
